Stringed musical instrument



I I 1,634,730 y 1927- F. TRAVAGLINI STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENT FiledMarch 10, 1924 7 e o 2 E I 1 YmmMfo-L Human: 17 4 a 4 W w v I i WPatented July 5,1927.

UNITED STATES FRANK TBA V AGLINI, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

Application filed March 10, 1924. Serial No. 697,977.

My invention relates to stringed musical instruments and its object isto provide a stringed instrument embodying the features of a banjo andguitarand which is especially adapted for playing orchestral music.

This ob ect, and other advantageous ends which will be describedhereinafter, I attain in the following manner, reference being bad totheaccompanyingdrawin in which Figure 1 is a plan view. of an instrumentconstructed in accordance with my invention, I v

Figure 2a left hand edge view of Figure 1, and I Figure 3 an enlargedsection on line 33 of Figure 1. 1

Referring to the'drawings, 1 indicates a guitar-shape body, hereinaftercalled a guij tar body having an extensionQ forming a 7 ring 5.

banjo-shape body hereinafter called a banjo body. The wall of the upperpart of the guitar body merges into the wall of the banjo body at andthe wall of the narrow part of the guitar body merges into the wall ofthe banjo body at at, and said walls form a continuous outer wall orframe as best seen in Fig. 1. A ring 5, conforming to the contour of theguitar and banjo bodies tits over them and is adapted to securely hold asheepskin-covering 6 thereon having a rein forced beaded edge 7 which isenga ed by Tightening hooks 8 are secured to the banjo and guitar bodiesby screws or otherwise A guitar neck 9 is secured to the upper and lowerpart of the guitar body by passing an extension piece 10 through thebody and connecting it to the lower part by a screw. A guitar fingerboard 11 is secured to neck 9 and preferably extends a short distanceover the body. The tail-piece 12, bridge 13, strings 14 and pegs 15 arecon nected to the guitar body and its neck in the ordinary way. A banjoneck is secured to the banjo body by passing an extension 17 4 throughthe upper and lower part of the body, similar to guitar neck 9, and abanjo finger board 18 is secured to the neck. The tail-piece 19, bridge20, strings 21 and pegs 22 are connected to the banjo body and its neckin the ordinary way. I

With the instrument above described, various kinds of music, such asrequired in an orchestra, may be produced by simply changing thepositions of the hands. The tones from the guitar are of the banjocharacter which are well adapted for dance music. By having a banjo andguitar body integral the vibrations from the banjo pass to the body ofthe guitar and vice versa, thus producing short, deep and mellow tonesfrom either set of strings.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Let ters Patents is 1. A stringed musical instrumentcharacterized by having an elongated sound body formed with oppositelycurving top enlargements; one of the top enlargements being circular inform and curving topwardly beyond the other of the enlargements; a pairof parallel-finger boards having extensions passing through the body onlines corresponding respectively to the longitudinal center of theelongated sound body and a diametrical center of the circular toponlargement thereon; having a sheepskin head on the body, and means totighten the head, substantially as described.

2. A stringed musical instrument characterized by having an elongatedsound body formed with oppositely curving top enlargements; one of thetop enlargements being circular in form and curving topwardly becoveringfor the elongated body and the circular enlargement thereon and providedwith. a beaded edge; a member engaging said beaded edge and extendingentirely around the elongated body and the circular enlargement thereon;means for holding said member in adjusted position, a banjo neck havingan extension passing through the center of the circular extension,parallel to and extending slightly beyond the gui ar neck.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

FRANK TRAVAG

